Germany's constitutional court has scrapped a law allowing the military to shoot down passenger planes suspected of being hijacked for terror attacks. The judge found that the law infringed the right to life and human dignity. The government of former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder proposed the law in the wake of the 11 September attacks on the US in 2001. President Horst Koehler approved the controversial measure last year but urged the court to review it. Poland was among other countries to adopt similar laws since the US hijackings. The German law had been intended as a last resort when all other attempts to resolve such a situation had been exhausted. The federal government, not the military, would have had the final say. However, critics argued that the government had no right to kill those on the plane to try to save the lives of others. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk

Haiti's interim government has blocked publication of results from last week's presidential election until an inquiry into fraud allegations is completed. Front-runner Rene Preval said "massive fraud" had probably denied him an outright victory in the vote. He warned of more protests if partial results - which would require a run-off if confirmed - were published as final. On Tuesday night, local TV showed what appeared to be hundreds of charred votes at a rubbish dump in the capital. Many of the ballots appeared to be marked in favour of Mr Preval, prompting protests from his supporters at the scene. Crowds later marched through the streets of the city, chanting Mr Preval's name and denouncing the alleged fraud. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4713802.stm

UK Prime Minister Blair won the first of a series of votes on his Terrorism Bill, signaling he may have defused opposition among his own lawmakers. The lower House of Commons voted 315 to 277 to return clauses to the bill that will make it a crime to incite terrorism. The upper House of Lords removed these clauses on the ground that they were too vague and could cover Irish republicans and the African National Congress. ``People who glorify terrorism help to create a climate where people believe that terrorism is somehow acceptable,'' Home Secretary Charles Clarke told lawmakers earlier in the debate. ``We've seen threats from people who claim to be leaders of Islam. There are all too many people who may be influenced by those who glorify terrorism. It is our duty to do all that we can to prevent this.'' Notice that they ignored the fact Governments incite terrorism which is far more dangerous and a common practice, only difference is they use it to incite their citizens to war...http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=aX3iSPzLwWlw&refer=home

French President Jacques Chirac has ordered the asbestos-lined warship Clemenceau to return to France after a ruling by the highest court. The court had demanded an end to the transfer of the decommissioned warship to a breaking yard in India after complaints from environmentalists. Greenpeace and three anti-asbestos groups said the ship was an environmental and health hazard. The ship is in the Arabian Sea after India refused entry to its waters. India said it wanted more information before allowing the 27,000-ton decommissioned aircraft carrier to enter its waters. A statement from Mr Chirac's office said: "The president has decided to put this ship in French waters on a position of standby which offers all security guarantees until a definitive solution for its dismantling is found." ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4716472.stm

Leading US technology companies will hit back at allegations they are complicit in censoring internet users at a Congressional hearing on the ethics of doing business in China. US lawmakers last month accused Microsoft, Yahoo, Cisco Systems and Google of giving into pressure from Beijing and censoring websites in violation of American principles of free speech. China's rapidly expanding online market has become a powerful magnet for foreign investment and for a steady stream of IT professionals from around the world. The country's internet population some 111 million, 64 million of whom have broadband is second in size only to the US. Yet the Chinese government enforces strict laws on internet use, blocking content it considers a threat, including references to the Tiananmen Square massacre and notable dissidents. The row over censorship is proving embarrassing and potentially damaging for companies, who are facing increasing pressure not to conform to Beijing's conditions...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4699242.stm

A Jordanian military court has sentenced nine men including Iraq's al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi to death for plotting a chemical attack. Zarqawi and three of the other defendants were condemned in absentia. He already faces two death sentences in Jordan for other convictions. Alleged mastermind Azmi al-Jayousi was in court. His lawyers said he was tortured to extract a confession. The foiled April 2004 attack could have killed thousands, Jordan officials say. Suicide bombers were to drive trucks loaded with explosives and toxic chemicals into the country's intelligence headquarters. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4715848.stm